Sly
Sly is a Merchant in Hollow Knight. He sells many wares at his shop in Dirtmouth for Geo but drives a hard bargain. Sly also appears as a boss as the Great Nailsage Sly. Lore Sly used to be the Great Nailsage.Sly: "I have a gift for you, warrior. As a shopkeeper, I admit parting with it for free is rather difficult. But as the Great Nailsage I must recognise your skill. You have mastered the arts of my remaining pupils. Now tradition decrees you too may hold the symbol." During his previous occupation, he trained some disciples in the Nail Arts: Oro, Mato, and Sheo.Sly: "If you see your fellow Nailmasters again, tell them I carry them in my thoughts always. And that they should come and buy something from their old teacher as a mark of respect." All three can be found in the game. After the kingdom's fall and the separation of his Nailmaster pupils, Sly abandoned his occupation as Nailsage. He turned to a simple life of a merchant, finding and selling wares from his shop in Dirtmouth.Sly: "How do you like my cosy little store? I've made myself pretty comfortable here, selling old trinkets to travellers like yourself." He did not, however, forget his mastery of the nail, and keeps his greatnail in the basement of his shop. At some point, a dream led him to close his shop and wander off in the caverns below Dirtmouth.Sly: "This old village. What a strange dream, to have led me down here!" He also lost his Shopkeeper's Key which ended up in a room in Crystal Peak.Sly: "I think there might be a few old trinkets down in my storeroom, but I lost the key a while ago." "Did you find it in those old mines perhaps? Very curious. I've no idea how it ended up in such a remote place." In-game events Sly can be found in a hovel in the abandoned village at the bottom of the Forgotten Crossroads, past the Gruz Mother. The shopkeeper has been slowly succumbing to the Infection, but approaching him breaks him out of his daze, saving him. After which, Sly returns to Dirtmouth to open his shop, without any recollection of how he fell into that predicament. Back in Dirtmouth, Sly sells various wares: from Charms to adventuring gears, even Mask Shard and Vessel Fragments. His backstock, however, remains locked until he is returned his Shopkeeper's Key, lost in the Crystal Peak. Sly notes when the Knight has honed their Nail, but also when they start learning Nail Arts.Sly: "Something has changed in your bearing. Ah! The way you hold your nail! So you've learnt a Nail Art..." "You've found a new nail, then? It looks like a much finer weapon than the last. Hmm? Oh, this is the same nail... but it's been honed! By someone extremely skilled..." After they learnt all three Nail Arts from the Nailmasters, Sly will be found in his basement, where he reveals himself as the legendary Nailsage and gifts the Knight the Nailmaster's Glory charm. As part of the Godseeker's ritual, Sly's mind is summoned to Godhome. There he takes his original mantle of Great Nailsage and fights the Knight, his thoughts focused solely on his days past. Great Nailsage Sly Dream Nail dialogue: "Remember... you are brothers..." Upon defeat, Sly bows respectfully to the Knight. He is fought at the peak of the Pantheon of the Sage and later within the Pantheon of Hallownest. While the Grimm Troupe is in Dirtmouth |Title3_Dialogue1= I've been hearing about the strangers that have come to town. They're strange indeed from what's been told. What interest does this tired little place hold for them? I'm thinking you may know the answer to that. None of my business of course, but I'd be wary of their deals and promises. Keep your nail half-drawn, if you understand me. |Title3_Event2= When Nymm is in Dirtmouth |Title3_Dialogue2= Another bug's arrived. And quite a racket he's making in the square. Worse, he's not a Geo to his name! Only that blasted, squealing instrument. Why is it always the poor that decide to stay?}} Location Sly first appears in an abandoned house in the southeast region of the Forgotten Crossroads. After listening to him, he can next be found in Dirtmouth. 01.png!Locations in the Forgotten Crossroads and Dirtmouth}} 03.png!Sly lost and dazed in the Forgotten Crossroads |Image2=Screenshot HK 01.png!Sly in his shop |Image3=Screenshot HK 02.png!Sly in his basement}} Trivia *Sly being more than he seems is repeatedly foreshadowed. For instance, his very first line, "Oro, you oaf... you wield your nail... like a club..." refers to Nailmaster Oro, and he comments on the Knight’s Nail several times. *According to a livestream Q&A, the development team originally planned for Sly to be a difficult boss who wielded a nail approximately the size of the other Nailmasters'. This idea was later reused for the Godmaster content pack. *Sly mentions a character named "Esmy" in one of his lines of dialogue. This character is never seen in the game nor mentioned again. In a Reddit AMA it is stated that Esmy is someone that still lingers in Sly's dreams. *As the Great Nailsage, Sly's cape is a pinkish colour as opposed to blue. *Sly mentions owning a full set of Vessel Fragments, although he only sells two out of three; this is possibly attributed to Soul Vessels being comprised of only two Vessel Fragments at one point before being changed by release. The A Weird and Wonderful World trailer also shows Sly selling half of a Soul Vessel. pt:Sly es:Sly ru:Слай it:Sly fr:Sly